A recent
blog post at WordWrite acknowledged that advertising
can be a necessary and even essential component of a
complete marketing plan. The post goes on to caution
that considering content marketing a part of a
communication or PR program should not be classified as
anything other than advertising, saying that in effect a
"paid ad is a paid ad."

The gist of
the article is that many PR firms are beginning to veer
into advertising territory with paid content strategies.
However, we agree with WordWrite that legitimate earned
media coverage carries more weight and is absolutely
more credible and effective than paid content.
Communications firms should leave that tactic to the ad
folks.

Building
rapport with journalists and bloggers, establishing
relationships with the media members most likely to
cover your area of expertise, and providing newsworthy
story pitches and commentary will help a company earn
coveted real media coverage. These media opportunities
can then be utilized by the company to extend and
strengthen the reach into their customers’ awareness and
thought processes, delivering a powerful return on
investment.

The key is
earning media exposure instead of paying for it. Yes
it’s hard work. No, it doesn’t happen overnight. As more
stories surface of companies “paying” for play in the
media, and the public becomes more educated about what’s
happening on that front, earned media will become even
more valuable.